Skincare Regime

Check out how I keep my skin breakout free! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srNwDxjkXBs&w=560&h=315]

Products:

Oil of Olay 2 in 1 daily facial cloths

Neutrogena Alcohol Free Toner (check out my review here)

Juice Beauty Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturizer

St Ives Naturally Clear Apricot Scrub Blemish and Blackhead Control

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

*Everything purchased by me

Newest Cover Girl: Janelle Monae

I definitely didnt see this coming but Janelle Monae is the newest Cover Girl!  I really love how diverse the Cover Girls have been lately.  One thing I love about Janelle is her mix of masculinity x femininity x natural hair.  I am even more excited to see a natural haired girl as the face of such a huge cosmetics company! I wish she would hurry up and retire her black and white suit combo already...but I digress. Check out all of the videos below! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXgubkjXHVo&w=640&h=360]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34XQHAGnpR8&w=640&h=360]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XiEnrMGMjY&w=640&h=360]

How to Fill in Eyebrows (Part 2)

This time I show you how to fill in your eyebrows using gel liner.  This technique is not for everyone.  Using the gel liner technique is best for someone who either doesn't have eyebrows or someone with very sparse eyebrows.[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vooMhsDQdPA] Products used:

MAC dipdown fluidline

MAC #263 angled brush

MAC Select Coverup Concealer NC42

Flat Liner brush (from the dollar store)

Blending Brush (from a hair show)

Hope this helps!!

*Everything was purchased by me

Oldie but Goodie: My Collab with Fashion Parkway

Ok so this post is waaaaaaay overdue.  I just realized I never did a blog post about working with Fashion Parkway for the first time (in January)!  This was also my first time doing makeup for a mini fashion film! I have to say it came out really awesome and I was impressed![youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUFsdC7vzD0&w=560&h=315]

The requested makeup look was dark smokey eyes and  soft pinky-nude lips.  Which I think went perfect for the whole look.  What do you think?

Designer Tatiana Palnitska for her Art To Wear Aproximat label. Visit http://www.palnitska.com

Hair: Michelle Mathews Makeup: Me Models: Anastasia Pavlenko, Michelle Mathews, Michelle Wollenberg, Devin Lee Ostertag

Raw Orlando Mixology Event

I got the opportunity to attend this event which was the first time it has been done in Orlando.  It is currently in over 50 cities and now in Orlando. So what exactly is Raw Orlando? Watch this video and it sums it all up! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqotKEnHqMg]

Check out some of my pics!

I wish I could have taken more pics but my camera was not that cooperative (technology can be your worst enemy sometimes). But here is a small recap of some of the conversations I had with some of the artists:

Francis Prachthauser: I was particularly blown away by his pieces.  He makes jewelry and masks out of copper and bronze and they are FABULOUS! He even let me try on one of the masks! I asked him how long it would take him to make one of the masks and he said a couple hours. One of the designers Deanna actually used some of his pieces in her show! For more of Francis check out www.handmadebronze.com

Deanna Choinski: I was really blown away with her designs.  I chatted with her briefly and she was expressing to me her love with working with leather. She also told me she is a IADT (International Academy of Design and Technology) Detroit grad.  I asked if she uses patterns to create her pieces and she said very rarely because it would be counterproductive to the looks she likes to accomplish.  She simply uses a dressform to drape. For more info check her out http://facebook.com/archaicleather

Parker Sketch: I loved his painting style! There was one piece in particular that caught my eye which was a crushed paint bucket with a Campbell's Soup can painted on it.  I asked what his inspiration was for it and he explained to me it was Andy Warhol inspired.

Nina Lopez: She was the hairstylist for Like a Pistol. She created Rockabilly hairstyles that were so fabulous! She is an Aveda grad and recently obtained her license last year.  I asked what she felt her specialty was and she said she absolutely loves cutting but she can do it all. Unfortunately my camera was being stupid so I didn't get any really good picture of her work.  I will have to wait until my fellow blogger Beauty by Cat posts her so make sure you check back!

Elle Quinn: If you love the Rockabilly Era then you would definitely love Like a Pistol.  You can even tell by looking at Elle that she embraces this era!  Some of her pieces are ones that she creates, others are some that she purchases. For more info check out Like a Pistol

Shannon Holt: A true painter in every sense! No matter the canvas (including your body) she's painting it! I asked her how long it took her to body paint the two lovely ladies that were walking around and she said she had been working off and on since 3pm adding more and more designs to them. Even some of the attendees went to her to get painted! For more info check her out Bombshell Body Art.

The event was awesome and I wanted to give a special thanks to Ashlie and Vanessa for having me!  There was music, a fashion show and so much more! It was a great way to network and meet other creative minds! This event was something very different from anything I've ever been to. If you missed this event don't worry because the next one is August 9 so mark your calendars! For more info on RAW www.rawartists.org.

Premier Orlando 2012

If you aren't familiar with the Premier Orlando it is one of the largest expos for beauty professionals.  This includes, hair, skincare and nails with hundreds of vendors.  This is the best place to stock up on essentials for your kit as most of the products are at a discount.  There are also some educational workshops but some of the best in the industry that you are able to take. You really need to have a game plan when you attend because there is so much going on at one time!  This is my second time attending but I was only able to go to one day for a couple of hours.  Last year I almost lost my mind and bought a lot of unnecessary things for my makeup kit.  Things that are still perfectly packaged and untouched!  So this year I was only buying things I actually needed. I also got the opportunity to take a class by the amazing James Vincent titled "Kit and Makeup Brushes 101".  He basically just went over how to minimize your kit but maximize your results! He made me realize I really need to consolidate my kit.  His was so small but yet so effective! I really learned a lot! I wanted to take Danessa Myrick's class but I wasn't able to such I just peeped in really quick.  I also got to see Derek J from Real Houswives of Atlanta and Hair Battle Spectacular, Tabatha Coffey from Tabatha's Salon Takeover.

While there I met up with Kim, Brittany, Courtney, Cristina and Safia! I only bought a couple brushes, disposable lip and mascara wands from Crown Brush and a Steel Palette from Nigels Beauty Emporium. I did good!  If you have never been to Premier is definitely worth checking out next year!

Neiman Marcus Beauty Bloggers Breakfast

June 2, 2012 the FL Beauty Bloggers were invited to an exclusive breakfast held by Neiman Marcus of Millenia Mall thanks to Steph of Imperfectly Painted.  They had mimosas,coffee, croissants and fruit and we had no idea what to expect.  We had the beauty section all to ourselves before the store opened! We were divided into 4 groups where we went to different stations that had product specialists that educated us on their brand.  This was a great experience because I pretty much never step foot in a Neimans nor have I tried majority of the brands that we learned about. I was very impressed at how knowledgable the product specialists were.  They only had a short period of time to educate us but yet I know I learned so much!  They even provided us with cute notebooks and pens for us to jot down some notes (I was too busy playing with the testers to take notes lol) AND we were gifted with samples to try!

I will definitely be going back to get matched for foundations and I can't wait.  Overall I enjoyed myself and I learned quite a bit!  Thank you to Neiman Marcus of Mall of Millenia and to Steph of Imperfectly Painted for presenting us such an awesome opportunity!

FL Beauty Bloggers May Meetup

Ok so this post is way over due so please forgive me.  I was waiting on getting some pics from the May meetup before I posted since I didn't take many myself.  Anyway once again we had another successful and fabulous meetup on May 19, 2012!  It's amazing to see how fast we are growing with it capped at 25.  We even had an agenda to keep ourselves on track!  This time we met at Crave Restaurant and we had tons of sponsorships!  I'm still trying to review products from the last meetup so I have LOTS of work to do! lol Check out some of the pics I borrowed from Phyrra, i wanted to take them all she lensed some awesome ones so check out a few!

LOVE this pic of me and Brittan y(Clumps of Mascara)! My hair is attacking her! lol

Cat (Beauty by Cat), Margo (Beauty and the Beat), Pam (Pamela's Closet), Elizabeth (Lacquered Up Glittah)

Steph (Imperfectly Painted), Alyssa (Pretty Little Bottles), Judi (Judixo), Margo (Beauty and the Beat), Eugenia (Geniabeme), Alicia (Nifty Ba) and ME!

We had a blast and I can't wait for the next one! Huge thank you to our AWESOME sponsors:

Barielle

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Barielle/138153106233155

http://www.barielle.com/Shades_Nail_Color-Color_Choices.html

Bettina

http://www.bettinacosmetics.com/

http://www.facebook.com/cosmeticos.bettina

Bundle Monster http://www.bundlemonster.com/

Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/bundlemonster

Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/bundlemonster

Chick Nail Polish

http://www.chicknailpolish.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/chicknailpolish

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chick-Nail-Polish/256464021068772

Crack Hair Fix www.prolocksusa.com

Twitter: CrackHairFix

Facebook: CrackHairFix

Cult Nails www.cultnails.com https://twitter.com/#!/CultNails https://www.facebook.com/CultNailsLacquer Instagram: CultNails Pinterest: CultNails

Dadi’ Cuticle Oil

www.FamousNamesProducts.com

Facebook: Famous Names Products

Del Sol http://www.delsol.com

Twitter: @DelSolColor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delsolcolorchange

LaFresh http://lafreshgroup.com/

Twitter: @lafreshgroup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lafreshgroup

L.A. Girl Cosmetics http://www.lagirlusa.com/

Twitter: @lagirlusa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lagirlusa

Milani www.milanicosmetics.com

Twitter: MilaniCosmetics

Facebook: Milani

Nicole by OPI

Twitter: @CVSBeautyclub

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/cvsbeautyclub

Reviva Labs http://www.revivalabs.com/

Twitter:@RealRevivaLabs

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RevivaLabs

Sation

http://www.misspn.com/index.php/site/intro

https://twitter.com/#!/MissProNail

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Miss-Professional-Nail/281074451926328?ref=ts

Southern Magnolia Minerals www.smmcosmetics.com

Twitter: SMMCosmetics

Facebook: SMMRealBeauty

Wet ‘n Wild http://www.wnwbeauty.com

Twitter: WetnWildBeauty

Faebook: https://www.facebook.com/wetnwildcosmetics

*All pictures are courtesy of Phyrra

Frownies Product Review

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAR3UT8--_o] I couldn't notice the results because I don't have wrinkles yet (I hope I never get them).  But if I did have wrinkles I would try options like this that aren't as scary or expensive as having a procedure such as botox. What about you? Are you the type that would rather spend the money to get a procedure and get instant gratification?  They have lots of other products that address issues such as stretch marks, scars, crows feet and etc. Make sure you check out their website to see all of their options!

Website: www.frownies.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefrownies

*These products were provided for my honest review.

Beautiful Textures Rapid Repair Deep Conditioner Review

When you're a natural girl you know how absolutely difficult it is to retain moisture and battle obnoxiously tangled hair.  I recently came across this new product line called Beautiful Textures that is supposed to help us with all our hair woes.  This line contains a total of 7 products: Curl Control Defining Pudding, Rapid Repair Deep Conditioner, Moisture Butter Whipped Curl Creme, Tangle Taming Leave in Conditioner, Tangle Taming Shampoo, Shine & Silken, and Curl to Straight.  I have personally tried 2 out of the 7 products but I am only reviewing 1 on this post as I am still forming an opinion on the other (Tangle Taming Leave in Conditioner).

Let me just say this, the Rapid Repair Deep Conditioner is amazing!  Prior to using this I was using Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner for my deep conditioning treatments.  However, the Organic Root Stimulator contains 12.25 oz and the Rapid Repair contains 15oz.  While I still think its amazing, Beautiful Textures is cheaper and works just as good!  Some of the ingredients are aloe vera, coconut, olive, soy, argan oil, shea and mango butter.  Now if you're one of those naturals that like to use products that are 100% natural ingredients then this is not for you.  It has some great natural ingredients but it also contains some of those big long hard to pronounce words too!  Me personally, If it works then I'm not a big stickler for the ingredients.

What I love about it is that not only does it do a great job at moisturizing my hair but it does a great job at detangling my hair.  My hair is so soft and slippery when I'm rinsing it out that the tangles just slip right out. An added bonus about the line is that the products are created for you to mix and match.  For instance, if you want added detangling you can mix the Tangle Taming Leave in Conditioner with the Rapid Repair Conditioner.  Let me just add that each product is under $7 and available at your local Sallys! I'm definitely going to try out a couple more of the products so stay tuned!

For more info check them out at wwww.beautifultextures.com

Milani Haute Flash Gloss Review

Milani was nice enough to provide 15 cases filled with goodies from their spring line for the Beauty Bloggers Orlando Event which I was lucky enough to receive!  This will be the first of many Milani posts since they have provided so much stuff for me to review!  Anyway this post is about the Haute Flash Full Coverage Shimmer Lipgloss!  First of all I just want to say I absolutely LOVE these lipglosses!

The pigmentation is amazing and they are very buildable lip glosses.  If you want more intense color keep on applying it.  I was very impressed with the pigmentation I'm not going to lie.  Another thing I love about this gloss is that its not sticky.  I've found the most of the time when lip glosses are pigmented they tend to be very sticky.  I'm also usually not a fan of glosses that have a lot of shimmer because sometimes those shimmers can end up looking crusty on your lips after awhile but so far this hasn't happened to me with these glosses.  These glosses also make my lips feel really soft  and the applicator is a flat doe-foot which I feel made an easier application.

My favorites of the bunch are "Hot Flash" which is this gorgeous fiery red color and "In A Flash" which is a beautiful purple color.  I feel like its difficult to find purple lipgloss.  My camera did not even do these colors justice.  They are bright and beautiful colors!

The only negative thing I have to say is that I want to see even more colors.  There were 2 pink colors (Star Flash, Quick Flash) that were very simliar, I would have traded one of the pinks for a nice orange gloss!  I mean after all orange is the "it" color for spring this year.  But overall these are definitely worth a try.  According to the website they retail at $7.49.